Radiology Assistant Salary

Radiologist assistants are professionals who work close to a more experience radiologist, and who assists in using advanced, high-end medical diagnostic devices. These professionals are responsible with greeting and welcoming the patients, explaining them everything they need to know about the medical imaging procedure, as well as after the procedure is done.

Radiologist assistants carry out a plethora of radiology procedures and other non-invasive medical tasks, under the close supervision of a radiologist who has an MD degree. Even though the radiologist assistant helps evaluating the different imaging procedures, it is the radiologist who creates the final reports. The median yearly salary of a radiologist assistant is of $54,000 in the United States of America.

Pay Scale In Different Parts Of The United States

Two of the highest paying states for these professionals are New York and Mississippi, where the median yearly salary for a radiologist assistant is of around $73,000. Other states who pay their radiologist assistants median salaries that exceed $70,000 a year are Massachusetts, Virginia and Washington DC, followed by the states of California, Connecticut and Georgia, where radiologist assistants get just under $70,000 a year, on average.

Radiologist Assistant Job Description

These assistants are also known as RAs are experienced professionals who have undergone advanced clinical and theoretical training. They are trained and licensed to perform small daily routine tasks under the supervision of a radiologist, from checking and maintaining the medical histories of the patients up to date to explaining them all the details of the diagnostic procedures.

Nowadays, most radiologist assistants start off as medical doctors, and then they choose to specialize in the field. Generally speaking, radiologist assistants are trained to perform a plethora of non-invasive and invasive procedures, from using magnetic resonance imaging equipment and examining the patients to taking X-rays and performing fluoroscopies.

After that, the radiologist technicians will report their research to the radiologist, who will eventually create the final report on the patient. It is essential for every good radiologist assistant to possess good listening and communication skills, to be detail-oriented and to have in-depth knowledge related to imaging techniques and devices.

Programs:

Becoming a radiation technologist or a certified radiographer is often the first step towards pursuing a lucrative career as a radiologist assistant, later on. Becoming certified and licensed is yet another essential part, and this is done by sitting for the exam administered by the ARRT, or the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists. There is a difference between a radiology technologist and a radiologist assistant, especially in terms of job duties and responsibilities. The radiologist assistant is the specialist who assists the radiologist MD in a variety of different advanced radiology procedures, who evaluate the diagnostic information and who educates the patient on the different medical imaging devices and procedures.

Radiographers, on the other hand, work in the same field but they often use radioactive materials to treat cancer patients, and they also manage the radiology equipment and perform different X-rays on patients. Either way, becoming a skilled and trained radiologist assistant involves enrolling in a two-year training program where you will get a deeper insight into fields like radiation physics, pharmacology as well as radiologic safety. You can then opt for either a Bachelor’s degree in Radiologic Sciences or for a Master’s Degree in Radiologic Sciences later on. As mentioned above, the certification plays a crucial role and most state owned hospitals and private clinics now require their radiologist specialists to be certified.

Certification

Candidates who want to pursue a certification or licensure in the field should be graduates of a radiologist assistant program. They will aim for the RRA credential, or the Registered Radiologist Assistant credential, and it is important for them to meet some essential eligibility criteria in order to gain certification. They must be AART-registered radiologic technologists, they must have at least a Baccalaureate degree and they must present a record of their evaluations and clinical experience in the form of a clinical portfolio. Only then they can sit for the certification exam.

Radiologist Assistant Salary In Canada, Australia And The United Kingdom

A Canadian radiologist assistant should expect to make between C$65,000 and C$75,000 a year, while one who works in Australia typically has a median yearly salary that ranges between Au$35,000 and Au$90,000. One who works in the United Kingdom should expect to be paid between 10,000 and 15,000 pounds a year.

Verdict On Radiologist Assistant Salary

To sum it up, the radiologist assistant salary can be motivating, especially since this career offers attractive advancement options as well.